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Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia
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Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 8301

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ming Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: history of Buddhist literature; intercultural study of art

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ever since their emergence in ancient India, Buddhist literature and art across Eurasia have been continuously transmitted both vertically and horizontally, with the localization and self-renewal determined or affected by the translation of Buddhist scriptures, pilgrimages of Buddhist monks and believers, excavation of grottoes, commerce and trade along the Silk Road, construction of buildings and gardens, exchange of crafts and technology, etc. Most existing academic paradigms relating to the transmission of Buddhist culture, however, are limited to the writing of national histories or the discussion on a single medium, leaving the topic of integration and the mutual learning phenomenon of various media which span the Eurasian continent and communicate Buddhist literature and art unhighlighted. Nonetheless, the “material and visual turn”, which has won the attention of international humanities academia in recent years, provides us with an important dimension for observing the generation and change of Buddhist cultural and artistic heritage across Eurasia.

This Special Issue aims not only to fully demonstrate trans-regional, trans-ethnic, and trans-media case studies on Buddhist literature and art, but also, and more importantly, to advocate innovation in methodology and ideology. There are no requirements for a certain age or specific region for the paper. As for the content, it is encouraged to bring into discussion the literary and artistic interaction between Buddhism and other religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism, Shintoism, etc.; meanwhile, comparative analysis of multilingual texts and in-depth exploration and interpretation of visual and up-to-date field archeological materials are highly welcomed. From the perspective of cultural exchange and mutual learning, the purpose of this Special Issue is to reconstruct the historical context of exchanges and interactions among different regions and different groups of people mediated by Buddhism, thus unveiling the shaping and regeneration of religious cultural landscape in Asia and Europe.

In this Special Issue of Religions, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Trans-cultural Buddhist literature;
  • Buddhist images and trans-cultural Buddhist art history;
  • Literary and artistic interactions between Buddhism and other religions;
  • Text–image relationship in Buddhist literature and art;
  • Transformation and transfiguration of Buddhist art as viewed from archeological findings;
  • Trans-media Buddhist literature and art.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. Thank you very much!

Prof. Dr. Ming Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Eurasia
  • Buddhist literature
  • Buddhist art
  • trans-media
  • text–image interaction

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

37 pages, 51814 KiB  
Article
Between North and South: Buddhist Cliff Sculpture in Northern Sichuan in the First Half of the Seventh Century CE
by Xiao Yang
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091123 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 963
Abstract
In the first half of the seventh century CE, clusters of Buddhist cliff sculptures were carved into cliffs and boulders in Guangyuan, Mianyang, Bazhong, and other locations nestled in the northern Sichuan Basin. They mark the start of large-scale Buddhist grotto construction in [...] Read more.
In the first half of the seventh century CE, clusters of Buddhist cliff sculptures were carved into cliffs and boulders in Guangyuan, Mianyang, Bazhong, and other locations nestled in the northern Sichuan Basin. They mark the start of large-scale Buddhist grotto construction in Sichuan, significantly impacting the establishment of regional grotto traditions in southwestern China. Through analysis of site forms, statue types, and devotional inscriptions, this article argues that these Buddhist cliff sculptures represent a reintegration of divergent Buddhist practices and artistic conventions that emerged during the Southern and Northern Dynasties in northern and southern China. While their niche-based site structure and collective sponsorship through the yiyi association can be traced back to northern China in the prior two centuries, the sculptural style primarily reflects a regional tradition exemplified by the free-standing statues unearthed in Chengdu, central Sichuan in the Southern Dynasties. The construction of these sites, catalyzed by the influx of northern officials and monks into Sichuan toward the end of the Sui and the early Tang, provides valuable material for exploring the social integration of northern and southern China, as well as the religious dynamics between Buddhism and Daoism in northern Sichuan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
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24 pages, 20080 KiB  
Article
Images, Legends, and Relics Worship in Southern Song Mingzhou: Interpretating “King Aśoka Stupa” and “Relics’ Light” from the Daitokuji Old Collection’s 500 Luohans Paintings
by Tianyue Wu
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091056 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 733
Abstract
The Daitokuji Old Collection’s 500 Luohans Paintings 五百羅漢圖, painted by Southern Song Mingzhou 明州 artists Lin Tinggui 林庭珪 and Zhou Jichang 周季常, have become a focal point in recent studies on the Chinese Buddhist material culture of the Song Dynasty. Among the 500 [...] Read more.
The Daitokuji Old Collection’s 500 Luohans Paintings 五百羅漢圖, painted by Southern Song Mingzhou 明州 artists Lin Tinggui 林庭珪 and Zhou Jichang 周季常, have become a focal point in recent studies on the Chinese Buddhist material culture of the Song Dynasty. Among the 500 Luohans series, five paintings are related to the ancient Indian legend of Emperor Aśoka’s creation of 84,000 stupas. These paintings include “Building a Stupa” (No.78), “King Aśoka Stupa Emitting Light” (No.79), “Precious Stupa on the Rock” (No.80), and “Miracle of Light-Emitting Relics” (No.81), which are currently housed in the Daitokuji 大德寺 in Kyoto, Japan, and “Luohans Watching the Relics’ Light” (B5), which is housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the US. However, the way in which the “King Aśoka Stupa” 阿育王塔 and “Relics’ Light” 舍利光 series were integrated into the overall visual narrative of the 500 Luohans in the Daitokuji and Boston collections, as well as the profound meanings and social-cultural contexts embedded in these images, have been rarely studied in depth. The introduction of the miraculous relics theme into the Daitokuji Old Collection’s 500 Luohans Paintings originates from an earlier version by the monk Fa Neng. However, Fa Neng’s version recorded by the Northern Song literati Qin Guan 秦觀 does not mention the King Aśoka Stupa. The artists had considerable freedom in depicting miraculous relic phenomena and King Aśoka Stupa. The specific details of King Aśoka Stupa’s background in Tiantai Mountain 天台山, such as rock bridges, waterfalls, and rock caves, as well as the craftsmanship of King Aśoka Stupa, reflect particular contemporary ideas. The vivid depictions of the “King Aśoka Stupa” and “Relics’ Light” in the Daitokuji Present Collection and the Boston Collection of the 500 Luohans may indicate a close connection between the creation of these images and the fervent Relics Worship at King Aśoka Temple 阿育王寺 in Mingzhou during Southern Song. This paper synthesizes these images, ancient Chinese and Japanese manuscripts, and fieldwork insights to interpret the sources and significance of these images. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
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13 pages, 376 KiB  
Article
The Khadira Wedges and Architectural Lore: Re-Examining the Materials Used in the Making of the Vajrakīla in India, 6–8th Century AD
by Mingzhou Chi
Religions 2024, 15(6), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060682 - 30 May 2024
Viewed by 557
Abstract
This research examines the Vajra-kīla made from khadira wood from a technological history perspective, focusing on the use of the kīla in Indian rituals and its contrasts with Indrakīla and other deified forms in various practices. The Indian prototype of the pronged instrument [...] Read more.
This research examines the Vajra-kīla made from khadira wood from a technological history perspective, focusing on the use of the kīla in Indian rituals and its contrasts with Indrakīla and other deified forms in various practices. The Indian prototype of the pronged instrument can be traced back to architectural tools. During Indian rituals, monks incorporated architectural customs into maṇḍala construction, including striking wedges made of khadira wood, tying five-colored strings, driving the kīla into the ground no more than four fingers deep, and never retrieving the wedges. Consequently, the majority of these disappeared without a trace. By exploring its early forms and materials, we can also understand the causes of the geographical imbalance in the remaining quantities of kīla. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
30 pages, 5772 KiB  
Article
A Patchwork of Hindu Ritual Practices and Technique Performances? A Re-Examination of the Citrakarmaśāstra, a Vajrayānic Sanskrit Śilpa Text Discovered in Sri Lanka
by Weilin Wu
Religions 2024, 15(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020146 - 24 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1309
Abstract
The Mañjuśrībhāṣita-Citrakarmaśāstra, a Sanskrit śilpa work discovered in Sri Lanka, deals exclusively with Buddhist image making. It provides technical instructions for the fabrication of Buddhist images as well as guidance for initial and final consecrations. This article offers a comparative intertextual study [...] Read more.
The Mañjuśrībhāṣita-Citrakarmaśāstra, a Sanskrit śilpa work discovered in Sri Lanka, deals exclusively with Buddhist image making. It provides technical instructions for the fabrication of Buddhist images as well as guidance for initial and final consecrations. This article offers a comparative intertextual study of the main body of the manuscript, including chapters concerning tree selection, the ratnanyāsa ritual, the techniques of clay modeling in the making of images, and the eye-opening ceremony. This study suggests that the Mañjuśrībhāṣita-Citrakarmaśāstra bears a remarkable resemblance to South Indian Hindu śilpa texts and does not perfectly correspond with actual practices and performances. The main part of the Mañjuśrībhāṣita-Citrakarmaśāstra is probably dated no earlier than the 11th century but no later than the 16th century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
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19 pages, 4386 KiB  
Article
Shaka Goichidaiki Zue: Vernacularization and Visualization of Buddha’s Biography in Nineteenth-Century Japan
by Wei Xiang
Religions 2024, 15(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010099 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1486
Abstract
Since the appearance of Buddha, texts and images depicting his life have circulated across Eurasia, serving as significant mediums for disseminating Buddhist ideology. Japan has historically been influenced by the canon of Chinese Buddhism while concurrently striving to promote the indigenization of Buddhism. [...] Read more.
Since the appearance of Buddha, texts and images depicting his life have circulated across Eurasia, serving as significant mediums for disseminating Buddhist ideology. Japan has historically been influenced by the canon of Chinese Buddhism while concurrently striving to promote the indigenization of Buddhism. This endeavor reached its peak during the Edo period, notably exemplified in the Shaka goichidaiki zue, illustrated by the world-renowned artist Hokusai Katsushika. Originating from Buddhist believers, it presents an adaptation based on the socio-historical context of pre-modern Japan, particularly manifesting evident shifts in emphasizing royal authority, the salvation of females, and ethical relationships. Entering the Meiji era, this pre-modern illustrated manuscript underwent repeated printing, playing an important role in the modernization of Buddhism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
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18 pages, 7197 KiB  
Article
Zen in Early Persian Painting—A Study of the 1314–1315 Jāmiʿ al-Tavārīkh Illustrations
by Fei Jia
Religions 2024, 15(1), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010075 - 8 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Since the establishment of the Ilkhanid Dynasty, Chinese painting has exerted a profound influence on various facets of Persian painting. This influence facilitated the divergence of Persian painting from Arab painting, fostering the gradual formation of an independent style. To explore whether Zen [...] Read more.
Since the establishment of the Ilkhanid Dynasty, Chinese painting has exerted a profound influence on various facets of Persian painting. This influence facilitated the divergence of Persian painting from Arab painting, fostering the gradual formation of an independent style. To explore whether Zen painting, which has been highly influential in contemporary China, also played a role in shaping Persian painting, this article first discusses the possibility that Zen books and Zen paintings were introduced to the Ilkhanid Dynasty. Subsequently, it delves into the illustrations of the Jāmiʿ al-Tavārīkh dating back to 1314–1315, analyzing Zen elements through three lenses: theme, brushwork, and compositional elements. Through this analysis, the article aims to provide insights into the impact of Chinese Zen art on Persian painting, offering a fresh perspective for scrutinizing the broader Chinese influence on Persian art. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Literature and Art across Eurasia)
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